What is the clarinet like?
Is it an "eBay" brand like Victory?
When I bought my clarinet off eBay, I checked for these things:


-A brand of instraments that people trust (Yamaha, Jupiter...)

-The seller; look over that feedback carefully.

-Valid Serial Number; I think this is a must.

-Description; how well is this item decribed?

-Ask for pictures; LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES. This is important. Hopefully, the seller is honest and will give you acturate pictures of what you are buying.

-Ask questions; LOTS AND LOTS OF QUESTIONS (if they really are a good seller, they should answer them)

-Return Policy; You should have the option of returning it if it is not what you expected.

-Insurance; For shipping, you should get insurance on the item to make sure it comes to your house safely.


Just remeber to be careful. There are alot of really good clarinets on eBay, but there are also alot of bad ones.

Hope that helps.

If you have anyother questions, just feel free to ask me!

Signed,
An eBay Addict

For only $35, that clarinet you posted looks like a very nice purchase. Since it is a Selmer, it is probably a good clarinet. The one thing I noticed is that one of the trill keys (the four keys on the right side of the upper joint of the clarinet) seems to bent slightly. It might be the model or might work just fine or I am just looking at it wrong. But if it is bent to the point that it does not work, it could be a problem, since that is a useful key. However, I am sure it is easily repairable but would still cost you money. As MusicRawks has already said, it would probably be a good idea to ask questions. But man, for onyl $35, that looks like a nice clarinet.

i actually play the clarinet in school and i got a clarinet

I've brought quite a few clarinets on ebay.
Last good one was a B12 http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230191102188&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=013

I buy quite a few old ones that need repairs and fix them myself.

Things to look for
stick to the main brands like selmer or selmer bundy, yamaha , vito , buffet.
Stick to recent models within 5 - 10 years at the most.

The vito resotone's can be had for a decent price.

Avoid cheap noblet as the wood may be rotten.

For a first clarinet stick to plastic / abs.

Questions to ask:

How recently was it serviced ?
What condition are the pads in.
What is the model and serial number ?
Does it come with a case and mouthpiece ?
Did the player smoke ? (if yes, the clarinet may stink of tobacco).
How often was it played ?
Was it used outdoors ?

If there is only one photo ask for a few more, of specific areas.


Be careful if it says it plays well or sounds good but there are little other details.

Alex

This is what I'm bidding on at the moment

a vito resotone http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230207257852&ssPageName=STRK:MEBI:IT&ih=013

you can see the questions I asked :-)

I've already got a resotone bitzer (two different serial numbers) but it plays great.

and
a boosey and hawk regent (ended up as part of buffet - their old regent model became the B12 http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Reviews/Clarinets/Buffet_B12.htm )
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330200355763&ssPageName=STRK:MEBI:IT&ih=014
can't go wrong at that price.

Some regents are wood (like my fathers one which I used to use when I was at school - 20 years ago)
other plastic.